The present invention relates to an engineered wood produced to substituted cellulose ester adhesives, and articles and methods related thereto.
As used herein, the term “engineered wood” refers to derivative wood products manufactured by binding strands, particle, fibers, or veneers of lignin-containing materials together with an adhesive, e.g., composite wood, particle board, plywood, and the like. The most common adhesives used in conjunction with the production of engineered wood are urea-formaldehyde, phenol-formaldehyde, and melamine-formaldehyde resins because they strongly bind to many lignin-containing substrates like wood. However, it is believed that these adhesives may release formaldehyde into the surrounding environment over time, which is undesirable because formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, has a pungent odor, and has been shown to induce asthma attacks in relatively low doses.
Accordingly, formaldehyde-free adhesives are of much interest. However, alternatives, like polyurethane-based adhesives, often have less than satisfactory adhesive properties, which produce, for example, low-quality carpets. Therefore, formaldehyde-free adhesives that exhibit adhesive properties comparable to or better than urea and melamine formaldehyde resins would be of value.